South Carolina's Steve Spurrier has his hook ready if Stephen Garcia doesn't measure up quickly

MARK ALMOND/Birmingham NewsSouth Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia passes against Alabama last season.DESTIN, Fla. — Perhaps no SEC coach has been more closely connected with his quarterbacks than Steve Spurrier.

That was especially true at Florida when he was leading the Gators to six SEC titles and a national championship. If a quarterback didn’t get things going, Spurrier would quickly go to the next guy in line.

Tommy HicksNow at South Carolina, Spurrier seems still to be looking for the quarterback that will make a difference. Some believe Stephen Garcia, last season’s starter, might be that player this year.

Spurrier has often said he wants Garcia to be that player. Lately, the coach has suggested in no uncertain terms he and South Carolina’s offense need Garcia to be that player. At last week’s SEC spring meetings, Garcia was a popular subject of Spurrier comments.

The ol’ ball coach has delivered a message to his quarterback and if Garcia hasn’t heard the message yet, then he’s not listening.

"Hopefully, Stephen Garcia can come around and make a stronger commitment to play," Spurrier said. "If he’s going to be your quarterback, then everybody’s got to believe in him. So we’re hoping Stephen will show just a little bit stronger commitment level and get himself a little better prepared each week and play better. Simple as that."

Simple as that, Spurrier called out his talented but inconsistent quarterback to live up to the expectations many in the Gamecock Nation hold for him. But it seems fair to suggest Spurrier isn’t convinced Garcia has received the message.

"We’ll find out this summer," he said. "Spring practice, I wouldn’t say was a lot different than most of his spring practices. They were pretty similar. So we’ll just have to wait and see. And it may be to the point he’s doing the best he can, that we’re expecting too much of him. I think about that too sometimes.

"He’s been here three years. I think about that, and if that’s the case, then we’ve got to get the next guy ready to play because the way he’s performed thus far, we’re going to be limited. He’s got to make better decisions, take care of the ball, avoid sacks, all that kind of stuff that great quarterbacks need to do.

"We believe he can and he’s going to get the opportunity to, but coaching is not that complicated. If you believe he’s your best player, you play him the whole game. And if you believe this guy can play better you put the other guy in."

Spurrier has a reputation for having a quick trigger when it comes to quarterback play. Last season, Spurrier said, he kept Garcia in the lineup because, in his words, there wasn’t another option.

Has Spurrier received any indication from Garcia he’s ready to recommit to the Gamecocks and take on the role the coaching staff hopes he’s ready to accept?

"Recommit or decommit?" Spurrier asked. "It’s wait and see. It’s all wait and see with him. We didn’t have a whole lot of sit down (discussions). We just gave him the plan: This is what we expect you to do."

The plan is in place. When preseason practices begin, South Carolina fans will start discovering which road Garcia has taken.